...inside the random mind of the willed man in wheel chair...bursts of simple ups and downs of the struggling life as breathed out on a typical layman's perspective...

November 27, 2013

Enrich Your Mind

High quality social
connections appear to protect against cognitive decline. Recent studies show a
25 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia among seniors who
report feeling satisfied with the relationships in their lives. Having an
interesting and fulfilling social life into your golden years is just one of
several factors that may help preserve the brain’s store of knowledge and
memory, a concept known as cognitive reserve.

A robust cognitive
reserve is essential for keeping your mind sharp as you age. One recent study reported
that nearly 40 percent of people who die without any measurable cognitive
deficits have evidence of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains. These include
the hallmark plaques and tangles.

How can this be? We
now understand that some people seem to tolerate the pathologic brain changes
of Alzheimer’s pretty well. It appears that having a well-funded intellectual
savings account somehow compensates for whatever damage has accumulated in the
brain. When there’s a pile-up or traffic jam on your main neural highways,
cognitive reserve serves as an alternate route for information to travel. So,
even if your preferred cognitive route is blocked, you still have a side exit and
smaller streets available to get you to your destination. True, it may take you
longer to get there, but at least you won’t be stuck indefinitely.

Scientists didn’t
always believe there were ways to build up cognitive reserve throughout an entire
lifetime. They used to think the brain behaved like cement: Young, freshly
poured neural pathways could swiftly absorb materials and impressions but
eventually these pathways would become set in stone, hardened and intractable
with age. We now know this is far from true: The brain is more like a glorious
garden, capable of growing, blooming and sending out new roots when the conditions
are favorable. Research has shown that stimulating experiences and new
learning, like sunshine and rain, allow this garden to flourish — and that’s
true whether you are young or old.